National Football League

Adrian Peterson's trial date tentatively set for Dec. 1

Published Oct. 8, 2014 10:26 a.m. ET

foxsports

CONROE, Texas – Adrian Peterson’s first court appearance on a charge he beat his young son with a switch was overshadowed by an uncomfortable conversation between attorneys and the judge, who acknowledged jokingly calling lawyers in the case “media whores.”

And that may mean a new judge — and a delay in the trial for the Minnesota Vikings star, which is tentatively set to start Dec. 1.

Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon told the judge, Kelly W. Case, that he wanted him to step aside. The judge, after apologizing to Ligon and Peterson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, said he would not and invited the prosecutor to file a formal motion. Ligon said he would.

All the while, Peterson — suspended indefinitely by the Vikings since Sept. 17 — sat in the front row of a courtroom packed with scores of others accused of wrongdoing, attorneys, law officers and members of the news media.

Judge Case said his comments were “meant as a humorous joke, and unfortunately humor is sometimes taken the wrong way …”

“Yes,” the judge said, “of course — I apologize to both of you. That’s not how I feel about any of you. I think you’re doing a great job. And I’ve known Mr. Hardin for … 25 years. I don’t know how long I’ve known Mr. Hardin. So no, I absolutely would never mean any harm to either one of you by saying that.”

That settled, the news out of Peterson’s foray into a muggy courtroom north of Houston was pretty straightforward: First, Hardin pushed for a trial as soon as possible, and Judge Case indicated that could occur as soon as the first week of December. Second, Peterson agreed he would have no contact with his son until the case is resolved. And Hardin sought to shift the narrative, asserting anew that at the heart of the case was not child abuse but a father who loves his kids and who disciplined his son, a decision that resulted in unintended consequences.

Peterson, 29, was indicted by a grand jury on a charge that he recklessly or negligently injured his son when he spanked him with switch, a small tree branch stripped of leaves. The incidents allegedly occurred last May 18 when the boy, who lives with his mother, was visiting Peterson at his home north of Houston.

The indictment came on the heels of the public airing of a surveillance videotape that showed Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee in a casino elevator, knocking her out. The Ravens cut Rice, and the NFL has wrestled with a public relations nightmare ever since over questions of its handling of cases of players accused of domestic violence.

After initially concluding that Peterson could keep playing, the Vikings reversed course and suspended him with pay until the case is resolved.

Getting back on the field means getting this criminal case resolved.

Peterson, dressed in a charcoal suit, arrived at the courthouse with his wife, Ashley, and navigated his way through a throng of reporters and photographers. Just steps from the courtroom doors, he was asked if he had anything to say to his fans.

“Appreciate their support,” Peterson said, then stepped into the courtroom.

He was one of scores of defendants on the morning docket, and his case was not given any preferential treatment. After Hardin and Ligon consulted privately for a time, they approached the judge. More than 100 people were in the courtroom, four slowly turning ceiling fans fighting to move the air.

Hardin said repeatedly that he wanted a trial as soon as possible – suggesting the week before Thanksgiving. After a long discussion, Judge Case — if he continues to preside — said he would give priority to scheduling a trial starting Dec. 1.

Peterson never was asked to enter a plea and never spoke in court.

And then it was over, Peterson and Hardin fighting through members of the news media and gawkers — many poised with cell phone cameras.

Outside, Hardin stepped before the cameras and talked at length about Peterson while the NFL star, who wowed football fans when he returned from torn knee ligaments in a little more than eight months to rush for 2,097 yards in 2012, stood stoically behind him. Hardin also sought to shift attention away from recent stories about Peterson, including reporting by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that detailed lurid allegations about a night of sex and conflict at a party involving Peterson and that questioned money spent by his charity. Other stories have noted that Peterson has fathered at least a half-dozen children with several different women.

“This is a really good man that I am incredibly proud to represent,” Hardin said. “This is a case about parenting decisions, and whether something unfortunate happened when a parenting decision was made by a man who … loves his children very much. We’ve been taking a good deal of stories that have a different side of him.

“I would ask all of you to please be tolerant of the fact that Adrian is champing at the bit to publicly talk and to publicly defend himself. And the only reason he hasn’t is us insisting and jumping up and down and saying the solution is for you to get a speedy trial and resolve all of this in a courtroom. That’s what we intend to do. We don’t intend to try and respond to each and every allegation.”

Hardin, who represented former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens as he fought allegations that he committed perjury when he testified that he never used steroids, said several times that eventually there would be “a totally ‘nother side that we’ll be asking people to listen to and observe.”

Asked what that other side was, Hardin channeled Bill Belichick, who last week answered repeated questions about the state of his New England Patriots team by saying he was moving on to the next opponent.

“I hope all of you have a great day,” Hardin said. “I saw … I think I want to try to be like the coach of the New England Patriots for a time … instead of on to Cincinnati, we’re on to trial. And if you ask me another question, I’m going to say we’re on to trial. If you ask me the third question, I’m going to say we’re on to trial. You all have a great day.”